Fishes of the Pacific Coast is an excellent reference guide with beautiful full color illustrations of approximately 450 fish. I truly appreciated the inclusion of the fish of the upper Sea of Cortez. Small ecological and historical blurbs are fascinating. The handbook size makes it a must have on your diving or fishing boat.

As a volunteer for the new Long Beach (CA) Aquarium of the Pacific, I needed to quickly learn about fishes of the Pacific coast and how to identify them. This book exactly suits my needs. It is interesting and informative, without being too technical. The color illustrations are beautiful. This is the perfect book for anyone who wants to learn more about Pacific coast fishes.

this was a terrific adventure as you take the turns of the river, ride the currents, buck the winds, weather the storms and sense the beauty of Fla. as you cast eyes on development only to imagine what parts of it would have looked like back 50 years ago. You are brought closer to nature and experience adventure that you only wish you would dare to attempt. A great story and a great enduring ride. thanks for sharing.

This is a great book for anyone wishing a glimpse of what Florida was really like a generation ago. The descriptions of the trip down the Suwannee River in the book match the vivid memories I have of my childhood playgrounds....don't miss it!

I have employed this book for over twenty-five years and attribute my lovely gardens to it's advice. I will be ordering the new edition as I have relocated to the Gulf area once again after many years on the Eastern seaboard,but now I am in Florida. Still, the month by month instruction for garden maintenance, plantings, pruning, fertilizing etc. will work in my area of Florida. I highly recommend this to any gardener along the Gulf Coast.

This is a terrific all-around gardening book for the Houston/East Texas Gardener written by the premier Houston gardening club. It is probably good for the whole Gulf Coast too, since the climates are similar. As an ex-northeasterner and novice gardener, I can say that if you are gardening in Houston and can only buy one book, this is it.

The text covers everything from herbs to flowers to trees, as well as potting, lawns, ground covers, vines, shrubs and vegetables. Special sections concentrate on Azaleas, Camellias and Roses, as well as soil improvement, watering, drainage, diseases and insects. In each section, tables list best planting times, blooming times, light and wattering requirements and other comments for each type of plant.

I found the book great for brain-storming, as well as for carrying to the garden store to determine if the great-looking flower or vine was really suitable for planting in my backyard.

My only regret: that it's not 50 pages longer...

As a New Englander, I need what sunshine I can get and this book has it with its marvelous range of the Gulf's Cuban/Italian/Creole/Mexican/Vietnamese flavors. I particularly love that the recipes are adaptable to what I can find here, and the beautiful photos are a plus (and an inspiration) as well.

I love to read cookbooks as well as use them. Gulf Coast Kitchens is engaging and fun to read. It is well researched with lots of interesting vignettes. The writing is colorful and lively. The recipes are a good mix of down-home and exotic dishes.

Easy fixings are a priority for me. Gulf Costs Kitchen's simple instructions with tips for advance preparation makes each recipe a dream.

I have already given several books as gifts. If you try it, you will love it, too!

Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm were a blend of frustration, depression, anxiety and adrenaline rushes. Phillip Thompson captures, with stellar accuracy, the build-up to and conduct of the Persian Gulf War. The reader sees through his eyes how a company grade Marine Corps officer faced family separation, debated the "politicalness" of this conflict, and ultimately served with distinction and courage on the frontlines. The reader can feel the heat of the 120-degree desert, smell the smoke of the burning oil fires and sense the frustration of waiting interminably for the war to begin. This book captured the essence of "my" war better than any other that I've read.

War may be hell, but waiting for it in a sweltering dockside warehouse or in the mosquito-infested desert is its own form of infernal torment. Thompson, who was among the first U.S. troops sent to protect the Saudi border after Iraq's August 1990 invasion of Kuwait, vividly describes the confusion, ennui, anger, fear, and occasional satisfactions of a Marine artillery captain caught up in the biggest military campaign since Vietnam. Mixing extensive quotes from his field journals with passages written with a decade's hindsight, Thompson puts the reader into the world of a combat soldier, a universe that shrinks at times to what can be seen with the eyes, heard through the rumor mill, or evoked by letters from home. Here, too, are tales of the fog of war: orders made and countermanded, improvisations brilliant and foolhardy. No one with a historical interest in the Marine Corps' Persian Gulf operations or a personal one in its troops should miss this book.

Anyone who knows Al Santoli knows he is an American patriot
one who puts country ahead of self. One who is in that rat race
of Washington DC and still keeps his integrity without looking for a cushy place of fame or wealth. We cannot find these folks around any more. A must read

It is unfortunate that this outstanding book is out of print because the lessons contained within the pages are timeless. Al Santoli, a Vietnam veteran, assembles a comprehensive cast to provide anecdotes about their problems and solutions to reforming and reorganizing the post Vietnam era United States Armed Forces. This book is just not for military leaders, officer and enlisted; the lessons of the book apply to all leaders, especially in organizations that are in need of change.

Is probably the best analysis of why we succeeded so completely in the Gulf War. It covers the historical and the strategic ,(socio-political), aspects leading to the Gulf War from the American Military standpoint. It is closer to a collection of interrelated essays on the different aspects that lead to success in war, starting from what in essence led to the defeat of America in Vietnam. This is a must for those interested in more than just tactics or for those interested in being (or understanding) a great leader and the elements that make "great" policy.

This is not a blow-by-blow account of the Gulf War; indeed, the only actual description of the progress of the war itself is the Appendix, a transcript of General Schwarztkopf's 2/27/91 press briefing.

The bulk of Summers' book is a critical analysis of the historical factors that in large part determined how the war was prosecuted and that determined its outcome. Much of this is a re-examination of why we failed in Vietnam- a subject covered brilliantly in Summers' earlier "On Strategy:"- and the changes in US Military policy that followed. Particular import is placed on how the support of the American people and world leaders was cultivated to support the Gulf War.

For students of history, politics and the military, this is a must read.

The software that comes with this book couples perfectly with Stanford's GSLIB (geostatistical software). Worth the money.

This book is an excellent overview on said topic. Clean, concise, and practical, it's often referenced.

A new and refreshing type book from National Geographic ... about a mini-submarine journey to the recently discovered life around thermal vents. It's a busy book ... profusely illustrated in a creative style that uses photography, pastels and watercolors. My two children, who have some leaning toward science, love this story ... you can sense the enthusiasm of the author. The dive sequence is particularly priceless ... nice blend of images and story. I and my children give this book 5 stars ... and hope there are more of this type coming from National Geographic. And ... we all love Max ... the ugligator!

This book is a treat to behold. The vividness of the imagery is breathtaking. The author is certainly state of the art and brilliant as she weaves together all of the newest in media. This book must have taken her a terribly long time to create. She does such an excellent job of explaining technically difficult material to all, including youth. Her scrapbook-diary format gives the reader the feeling that they have accompanied her. It is whimsical, serious, artistic and soundly scientific all in one. BRAVO